FFA boss David Gallop announces four-year, $160 million TV deal

FRANK Lowy called it a "bloody good day", and football in Australia will move forward with a $160m broadcast deal over the next four years.

The long-anticipated agreement will bring the A-League to free-to-air television for the first time, and will allow Football Federation Australia to cover the full cost of the salary cap in the grant it gives the 10 clubs.

The deal delivers $148m in cash to the game, with the balance in advertising and marketing, and also means all Socceroos World Cup qualifiers will also be shown on SBS.

"The former sleeping giant of Australian sport is awake," said incoming FFA CEO David Gallop. "He's out of bed, he's in the street and now has some cash in his pockets."

From next season SBS will show a Friday night game simultaneously with Fox Sports, as well as all finals games on a one-hour delay and a weekly highlights show.

The agreement is roughly double the existing one with Fox Sports,

"FFA has been building the foundations for sustained growth with the success of the Socceroos, the consolidation of the A-League and the popularity of our beautiful game with 1.7 million participants at the grassroots," said Lowy.

The FFA chairman also foreshadowed a hard line in negotiations with the players' union over a new collective deal, insisting that the "existing salary cap arrangements will not change.

Since the start of the A-League the salary cap has more than doubled from its original $1.2m a year, with FFA sources making clear that the money coming into the game is seen as resources catching up with that figure, rather than funding a large increase.

Gallop said the deal was a reflection of the success the A-League has seen in the past two years.

"This announcement comes at a time when the A-League is showing its true potential," he said.

"After seven rounds, the average attendance is up 32 per cent on last year's average.

"Our TV numbers represent a 35 per cent increase.

"In Round 1 this season, we achieved the all-time aggregate attendance record for a single round."

In practical terms, SBS managing director Michael Ebeid said negotiations were still to be finalised on whether the FTA network would take Fox Sports commentators or use its own.